Description

AREA: Want excellent crack, in a secluded area? This is a good crag...Asshole Rocks/South Platte. If you can find it, it's worth it. I put some info on the approach below that should help.

ROUTE: Cardiac Crack is on the South face of Asshole Rock proper. I believe that this is the easiest route on the crag, at stiff 5.9+. It is a possible sandbag (IMO), but, mainly really sustained, and awkward. Definitely harder than Locksmith on Sphinx Rock, and about as sustained as pitch 2 of Center Route on Cynical Pinnacle.

When you get to the south face, the route is obvious, being the longest crack, with a roof about 20 feet up. It starts out with a finger crack/corner, where you can use some chimney techniques with the feet. At the roof, instead of pulling up on jugs like it may look, you just start chimneying up through to an awkward pod. Then, you thug over this overhanging crack section onto the crux. The crux is a steep crack section with fingers through hand jams. Pretty sustained stuff! Then, about 35-40 more feet of (again sustained) fist/off-fists. Mantle easily up to the top, and belay using chockstones...

DESCENT: Walk left (climbers left) from the chockstone belay. Should be able to spot rap anchors on the far West corner. At least one of the bolts is good/newer... One, short rap. This is the same rap for most all climbs on the South Face.

GETTING THERE: From Pine Junction, head South on 126 towards Pine. Go through Pine, past it by about 2 miles or so, you get to FR #550. Book a left on 550. Go up about 1/4 mile till you see some yellow "no motor vehicles" signs. Park at the first one of these on the left. Walk down the old 4x4 trail behind the sign.

After a few minutes, the road intersects with the next one off 550. At this 3-way intersection, walk left. Keep going around the ridge until the road starts going off shaprly to the west. Right as it turns, look closely for a faint trail leading straight up the hill. Take this to the base of the NorthEast face of A-hole rock (Evidenced by 2 wicked 5.11 dihedrals). Form here, to get to the South Face, walk LEFT for a nice bushwacking session around the crag. I dont think a trail to this side of the crag exists.. The trail to the NorthEast face is pretty good, but, kinda steep, and faint. Its a dirt trail following a line of sticks that somebody sat there (btw - thanks to whoever did that!)

To get to Da Butts, and some other nice crags, just keep going down the 4x4 trail when it heads back west. These climbs should be easier to approach than A-hole rock proper...

Have fun!!!

Protection

Full rack! About a 100 foot pitch, fingers to wide crack... So, bring nuts/TCUs, but the emphasis here is on 3-4 inch pro, maybe bring a few larger cams... Compass!

Awsome route! I think the name is perfect. Very sustained with good rests occasionally. My heart was racing. Hell of a bushwack at the end of the approach I must say. All in all, I thought it was pretty challenging, I slipped off the start as I placed a shitty nut, didn't hit the ground but had to start over pull the nut and move on.

Starts as finger locks and side pulls then up into the OW chimmney/ pod and into the crux with hands and fists to more chimmneying and OW at the top. This was a great route for me to test my harder crack skills.

My partner didn't want to climb it due to a bum knee so I rapped, cleaned the route and ascended back up, and pulled my anchor then proceded to walk south (I think) toward the SE face where I found a chimney that opened above the OW cracks just right of Cardiac Crack. From here, I got adventerous and slung my rope over a big horn on the back side of the chimmney (which looked solid but questionable due to some cracks I saw running around the horn), and I rapped au natural pulling my ropes and leaving nothing behind. This was a solid day for me. The approach and the climb and the bullshit I had to do all took it out of me and we started to leave at about 4PM after starting around 9 AM got back around 5- 5:30.

The old aid line to the right will make a good free route. It'll go for sure and is a stellar line up some real nice stone. I had thought about it years ago but with the newer small cams I think it might even be on the verge of safe. There's an old quarter inch bolt near the top.

Super route with great rests; hence I can't say it is sustained. I'm sure the crux is different for everyone. For me, it was the finger crack getting off the ground. The roof/ow/chimney looking thing is daunting but not hard. A BD #5 protects that move if you want to haul one up there. The rest of the route is pretty straightforward. The upper section eats gear, a few #4 may come in handy. I agree with the 9+ rating except the start felt more like 10 for me. But maybe cause I'm really short.